Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a vending machine and method of operation of a vending machine for dispensing plastic bottles containing water or other non-carbonated beverages.
Description of the Prior Art
Vending machines for carbonated soft drinks in cans and glass bottles are known. Vending machines for glass bottles have been replaced in the marketplace by vending machines that dispense cans. The vending machines for cans often have a series of vertical columns with a rotatable flap located at the bottom of each column to close off the column. Each flap is connected to a tiny electric motor that causes the flap to open to release one can in response to an appropriate signal from the outside of the machine. The cans in each column are stacked on top of one another from the bottom portion of the machine to the top portion of the machine. Plastic bottles containing water of a size up to approximately 500 milliliters can be satisfactorily dispensed by known vending machines having a design similar to that described for cans. Large plastic bottles, of approximately one liter and above, that contain water are much more fragile than cans or glass bottles. Also, plastic containers of non-carbonated beverages present a much softer, flexible outer surface than a plastic bottle containing carbonated beverages due to the outward pressure caused by the carbon dioxide within the containers. Large plastic water bottles have relatively soft walls and, when the containers are subjected to too much pressure, the containers can tear or burst or develop a leak. This pressure can be caused by stacking too many plastic water bottles on top of one another or by allowing the water bottles to fall through too great a distance. There has been some demand for vending machines that will dispense large plastic water bottles as spring water, purified water or distilled water has become more popular as consumers become increasingly concerned that municipally supplied water contains unwanted chemicals or pollutants or has an unwanted taste. This is particularly the case in apartment buildings where water quality is often unacceptable for drinking purposes.